With the Greatest Rivalry series looming, Erasmus is running a deliberate two-track operation. Roughly 26-27 players will travel to Argentina for the August 8 Test — including Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert — while 15-17 players stay home to begin acclimatising ahead of the All Blacks series opener on August 22. The logic is straightforward: New Zealand will be sharpening up against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls before that first Test, and Erasmus doesn't want his squad flying back from Buenos Aires at a disadvantage. Pieter-Steph du Toit is specifically earmarked to skip Argentina and bank a two-week rest instead, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could be released to the Stormers for game time on a case-by-case basis. Four debutants — Vusi Moyo, Jaco Williams, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie — feature against Wales this weekend before the squad splits.
Erasmus splits the squad: Argentina gets a proper team, but the All Blacks prep starts now
Erasmus is running a deliberate two-track operation — a full-strength group heads to Argentina while a separate contingent stays home to prep for the All Blacks, with player management decisions like resting Du Toit already pointing to where the real priority lies.
Dobson: Kolbe returning to win trophies, not to wind down
John Dobson says Cheslin Kolbe has made a major financial sacrifice to return to the Stormers, motivated by winning trophies rather than winding down his career, while warning the franchise is close to its limit on high-profile signings.
Kolbe set for Stormers return from July 1 as Project 2029 takes shape
Cheslin Kolbe is reportedly set to return to the Stormers from July 1, with a multi-party funding arrangement — involving Roc Nations Sports, a third-party sponsor believed to be Sportybet, and SA Rugby's PONI structure — enabling his release from Suntory Sungoliath ahead of schedule.
Kolbe set for Stormers return from July 1 as Project 2029 takes shape
Cheslin Kolbe is reportedly set to return to the Stormers from Suntory Sungoliath on July 1, with the deal secured through a combination of Roc Nations Sports, a third-party sponsor and SA Rugby's PONI funding. He would join Siya Kolisi and Wilco Louw as high-profile Springbok returnees ahead of the 2026/27 season.
All Blacks' loosehead crisis hands Springboks a ready-made weapon in Greatest Rivalry Series
Jeff Wilson has publicly identified loosehead prop as the All Blacks' most dangerous weakness ahead of four consecutive Tests against the Springboks — with Williams likely out, Tu'ungafasi's future uncertain, and the remaining options short on caps and experience. Set against the depth Erasmus has built across the prop positions, this piece maps out why scrum time could be where the Greatest Rivalry Series is decided.
Stephen Donald: Robertson copied the Boks — Rennie must go back to All Blacks DNA
Stephen Donald backs Hansen's anti-copycat argument, saying Robertson erred by chasing the Springbok blueprint rather than New Zealand's tempo-based strengths — and expects Rennie to correct that course ahead of a blockbuster four-Test series in South Africa.